The Importance of Your Old Friends

Ariana explains how you can merge your new friends with the old -- just in time for the holiday break at home.

Featured Author:

Ariana Pugh

My name is Ariana Pugh, and Iâ€™m an International Studies major at Fordham University at Lincoln Center in Manhattan. Iâ€™m originally from Buffalo, New York, and I graduated from Leonardo da Vinci in 2011, where I was active in student government and tennis.

Buffalo is an incredibly literary city thatâ€™s been a huge influence on my writing, but Iâ€™ve been passionate about learning and research since I could hold a crayon, thanks to my supportive family.

Iâ€™m extremely honored and excited for the chance to collaborate with Fastweb and share my college experience.

Iâ€™m interested in anything and everything, but I can typically be found on the tennis courts, wandering art galleries, dining out with friends, and generally exploring the two wonderful cities Iâ€™m lucky to call home.

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Some people walk onto campus in the first couple of days and have an instant crew of best friends – other people take a little more time to meet people. While making new friends and branching out beyond your life at home is one of the coolest things about college, it’s important to stay in contact with your friends back home no matter what your situation is. Sometimes, it’s better just to know that someone has your back.

While your new crew in college might seem like the coolest people you’ve ever met, stay in contact with your friends back home. Chances are, you guys will end up going your separate ways eventually, especially if you all split off to different schools around the country.

But that’s no reason to burn bridges! College is busy and stressful, but don’t let a lack of time kill amazing friendships. Next time a memory with a high school friend pops into your head, take a minute and post something on their Facebook wall or send a quick text. It’s simple and it takes less than a minute (and let’s be honest, you were on Facebook anyways). Even if it doesn’t turn into a long conversation, it’ll feel good for both of you to know that you still have a friend out there.

It’s also a good idea to make new memories. Your old friendships might seem like they’re rooted in the past, and sometimes it feels like the only thing you guys really have to talk about is the past. Talk about your current lives, no matter how radically different they are – and don’t just list what you’re up to.

Actually discuss your life and bring your friends into the story. Ask for opinions, joke about things the way you would if they were right next you. Even if the truth is: “So, I’m dating this guy Tom now. You don’t know him and probably won’t meet him,” that’s way less likely to bring on a bonding moment than, “So I’m dating this guy Tom. Remember your cousin Dave? He looks JUST like him!” If you go home and see your friends, you won’t spend the entire time dully naming things you’ve done and friends you’ve made – you’ll have something to joke about and bond over already.

Finally, merge your crews! Of course, if you go to school across the country, the chances of your friends ever meeting are admittedly pretty slim. But next time you’re on Skype, introduce the friend you’re chatting with to your roommate. It’s a fun way to merge your home life and your friends at school, and who knows? Your roommate might come to visit over the summer, and the entire group could have an amazing time together.

It might seem like your life is going in a thousand different directions away from home, and that’s a great thing! But there’s also nothing wrong with maintaining your relationships back home. Go ahead, pick up the phone. It’s a big world, and the more is always the merrier.